Apparatus and process for checking the authenticity of an article having a magnetic storage information means
First Claim
1. Apparatus for checking the authenticity of an article carrying a magnetic storage material which stores permanent characteristic information, the apparatus comprising means for irradiating the article with electromagnetic radiation of a particular spectral characteristic, means for detecting electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by or reflected from the article due to the irradiation thereof by the means for irradiating, means for determining whether the detected radiation has prescribed spectral characteristics and said means being operable to produce an authentication signal if the prescribed spectral characteristics are detected to indicate that the article is genuine and a magnetic detector means operable in response to said authentication signal to weed said characteristic information which is stored on the magnetic material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus (2) for characterizing or identifying an article (10) having a magnetic material thereon which stores information relating to the article, the apparatus comprising means (24) for irradiating the article with electromagnetic radiation of a particular spectral characteristic, means (26,28,30) for detecting electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by or reflected from the article due to the irradiation thereof by the means for irradiating, means for determining whether or not the detected radiation has prescribed spectral characteristics thereby to detect whether or not the article is genuine, and a magnetic detector means for reading information which is stored on the magnetic material, the means for detecting being arranged to control the magnetic detector means in response to the detection or whether or not the article is genuine. The invention also provides a method for characterizing or identifying an article having a magnetic material thereon which stores information relating to the article.
258 Citations
15 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for checking the authenticity of an article carrying a magnetic storage material which stores permanent characteristic information, the apparatus comprising means for irradiating the article with electromagnetic radiation of a particular spectral characteristic, means for detecting electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by or reflected from the article due to the irradiation thereof by the means for irradiating, means for determining whether the detected radiation has prescribed spectral characteristics and said means being operable to produce an authentication signal if the prescribed spectral characteristics are detected to indicate that the article is genuine and a magnetic detector means operable in response to said authentication signal to weed said characteristic information which is stored on the magnetic material.
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6. A method for checking the authenticity of an article carrying a magnetic storage material which stores permanent characteristic information, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) irradiating the article with electromagnetic radiation of a particular spectral characteristic; (b) detecting electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by or reflected from the article due to the irradiation thereof by the means for irradiating; (c) determining whether the detected radiation has prescribed spectral characteristics and causing an authentication signal to be produced if the prescribed spectral characteristics are detected to indicate that the article is genuine; and
,(d) in response to said authentication signal, reading said characteristic information which is stored on the magnetic material, the reading step being controlled in response to the detection in the determining step (c) of whether or not the article is genuine. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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- 11. A security article carrying a magnetic storage material thereon which stores characteristic information and a secure optical authentication material which has particular optical characteristics so that it emits electromagnetic radiation of prescribed spectral characteristics when it is irradiated with electromagnetic radiation of a particular spectral characteristic.
Specification